Farm Fresh Blog

Because of time and space, we didn't breed the sheep this year, but I still bred the dairy goats because we need milk (for coffee and soap!) After months and months of wondering whether or not Baby Oscar had been able to get the job done, I finally gave up worrying whether my dairy goats were pregnant. (Yes, I could have drawn blood and run the test, but that kept getting put off too.)

Then Crimson started looking really poor. I mean REALLY poor. I got worried. She was anemic. Everyone else looked good, but she was wormy. Thus began the debate. Worm or not to worm? If I worm and she's pregnant, there could be problems. If I don't worm, it could be a moot discussion because she'd end up dead. So, I wormed. And later I wormed again. Two weeks after that she started bagging up. Hmmmm.... Doesn't it just figure? Guess that answered the question about whether or not she was pregnant.

And since she is pregnant, it's a good bet that the Clover is pregnant too. Yes, I'm happy they are pregnant, but this richly illustrates why I hate to keep bucks or rams with my girls all the time. You never freakin' know when someone is due!!! It's impossible to juggle innoculations and worming when you never know when the girls have been bred! That said, once this crop of babies hits the ground, Oscar's life is about to change. (take a moment for a collective sigh of sympathy for Oscar)

So now we are on Baby Watch. Yesterday Other Half installed video surveillance cameras on the property. I LOVE IT! When we put in the new barn at the ranch, we are already planning on having video surveillance on the goats and the chickens. There will be no more worries about when babies come in the middle of the night or it a raccoon is in the hen house. We will be High-Tech Rednecks!